We took a few photos around Arlington this afternoon, before the really strong winds started blowing. The contrast between the blue skies and the quick-moving rain storms that passed through the area was quite striking.

The National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch and a High Wind Watch for tomorrow. Today’s warm weather will give way to colder, windy weather tomorrow. Gusts could reach as high as 60 miles per hour, forecasters say.

HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND WATCH…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING.

* TIMING…HIGH WINDS WILL BEGIN THIS EVENING…WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS BETWEEN 5 AM AND 7 PM.

* WINDS…GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE…ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE RIDGES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A HIGH WIND WATCH MEANS THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A HAZARDOUS HIGH WIND EVENT. SUSTAINED WINDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH…OR GUSTS OF 58 MPH OR STRONGER MAY OCCUR. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

Together with low humidity, the high winds will produce weather favorable for the rapid spread of brush fires.

Hang On To Your Hat – A wind advisory is in effect until 9:00 tonight for the entire metro area. The National Weather Service says to expect sustained winds of 25 to 30 miles per hour, with gusts of 45 to 50 miles per hour. So far, the wind has not caused any major problems in Arlington. Dominion is reporting only 17 customers without power in Arlington as of 6:30 a.m.

Local Snowstorm a Bust, But Travelers Stranded — As it turns out, the snowstorm that was supposed to hit D.C. yesterday left barely a dusting. But at Reagan National Airport this morning, there is evidence of what could have been. The storm ended up blanketing northeastern cities with up to a foot and a half of snow, causing major disruptions to air, rail and bus travel. Many travelers who were trying to fly from Reagan National to Philly, New York or Boston instead spent the night at the airport. New York’s airports are not expected to reopen until this afternoon.

Arlington Residents Complain About Snow – The Dec. 16 “storm” that dropped about two inches of snow on Arlington prompted a slew of complaints to the county’s new online snow issue reporting form. Check out quotes from four of the complaints, courtesy of TBD.

Rosslyn Commons Groundbreaking Set – The groundbreaking for 1510 and 1530 Clarendon Boulevard, also known as Rosslyn Commons, has been scheduled for the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 25. Developer JBG sent an email last week asking local leaders to “save the date.”

AN AREA OF RAIN WITH EMBEDDED VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL MOVE OVER THE WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE. RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO 1 INCH PER HOUR WILL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE VISIBILITY AND WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND OTHER LOW LYING AREAS. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO USE CAUTION.

Flash Flood Watch:

… FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON…

THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR

* PORTIONS OF MARYLAND… THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND VIRGINIA.

* UNTIL 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON

* A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION THIS MORNING. RAIN AMOUNTS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES ARE EXPECTED. THIS AMOUNT OF RAIN MAY CAUSE SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS TO RISE OUT OF THEIR BANKS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.

How exactly did it happen? Nobody seems to know for sure. But one reader recently sent us this dramatic account of what she saw as the storm rolled through Shirlington.

Just as FYI – it was closer to 20 vehicles that had the glass blown out of their vehicles, not 6. And the storm took out their back glass, side windows and in some cases even the windshields… Working in the ANSER bldg across from the bus stop – employees watched as the trash cans and paper vending machines were swirled up as high as the 5th floor – then dropped like lead weights back to the ground.

The straight line winds in Shirlington were at around 70 miles per hour.

High winds are causing problems in the area. On an otherwise beautiful, sunny day, more than 1,000 Dominion customers were without power in Arlington as of 4:30 p.m.

On Dittmar Road in North Arlington, two large trees were felled by the wind, bringing down a mess of telephone poles, live power lines and communication cables. The area is expected to be without power for an extended period of time. Stretched-thin Dominion Power repair crews have yet to arrive on scene.

Elsewhere, dry conditions are combining with the high winds to present a fire danger. At least half a dozen grass, mulch and brush fires have been reported to the Arlington County Fire Department throughout the day.

Strong, gusty winds are knocking down tree branches large and small around Arlington.

Broken branches have been falling on roadways and on power lines, keeping police and power company crews busy all afternoon. As of 3:00 p.m., there were between 250 and 1,000 Dominion customers without power in Arlington, according to the company’s web site.

On S. Lincoln Street, near the Wendy’s on Columbia Pike, a large tree limb fell across the road, bringing a live power line with it.

On N. Carlin Springs Road, near the intersection with Route 50, a tree branch fell on power lines and caught on fire. The southbound lanes of N. Carlin Springs were shut down while police and fire personnel waited more than an hour for a Dominion crew to arrive.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service has issued a high wind watch. Winds are expected to pick up tonight and into tomorrow, gusting as high as 60 miles per hour.